Wanting to take part in some sort of St. Patty's Day festivities without actually going to the parade, my co-worker and I decided that the perfect solution would be to go to an Irish pub for lunch. There are dozens of pubs in the few blocks of my office, but O'Lunney's is a really big bar, so we figured we'd have the most luck getting a table there. As expected, there was a huge, lively crowd inside, and a few parties ahead of us. Luckily, there was a table in the bar area that opened up after just a few minutes. We sat right at the window, gave us a great view of the debauchery going on outside, and the people singing and cheering inside the bar.
If we were going to continue with the celebration, then there was only one option for our drink order...Irish beer. My co-worker got the quintessential St. Patty's Day beer...a Guinness. I ordered my very first Harp Lager (shh, don't tell my boss!), and I really liked the taste. Will have to remember that one for my next Irish pub adventure.
O'Lunney's had a limited menu for the holiday, so I debated what to order. I felt wrong getting a chicken sandwich even though I had had it before and really liked it. So I decided to change it up a bit and got fish and chips. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously you can't really go wrong with anything that's fried, but I was more expecting a frozen piece of mystery fish. The good news is it was far from that. The pieces of cod were freshly battered and fried in a delicious beer batter. It was served with crispy fries, homemade tartar sauce, and a pickle. Now, I will say that it was pretty overpriced...my dish was $16. But, I was in the spirit and it ended up being worth it. My co-worker got the corned beef and cabbage, and said it was really good. I took his word for it...he knew better than to offer me a piece of beef!
The rest of the restaurant was filled mostly with far-from-sober parade patrons, rather than the usual office lunch crowd. It definitely made for an entertaining dining experience. Groups decked out in green gear spontaneously burst out into song and danced around the bar. We had a hard time motivating to go back to work when we we could have easily sat there and watch the shamrocks and leprechauns all afternoon. So, if you're looking for a lively, authentic atmosphere, with great food in the Times Square area, definitely check out O'Lunney's. Cheers!
O'Lunney's
145 West 45th Street
b/t 6th Avenue & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing
If we were going to continue with the celebration, then there was only one option for our drink order...Irish beer. My co-worker got the quintessential St. Patty's Day beer...a Guinness. I ordered my very first Harp Lager (shh, don't tell my boss!), and I really liked the taste. Will have to remember that one for my next Irish pub adventure.
O'Lunney's had a limited menu for the holiday, so I debated what to order. I felt wrong getting a chicken sandwich even though I had had it before and really liked it. So I decided to change it up a bit and got fish and chips. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously you can't really go wrong with anything that's fried, but I was more expecting a frozen piece of mystery fish. The good news is it was far from that. The pieces of cod were freshly battered and fried in a delicious beer batter. It was served with crispy fries, homemade tartar sauce, and a pickle. Now, I will say that it was pretty overpriced...my dish was $16. But, I was in the spirit and it ended up being worth it. My co-worker got the corned beef and cabbage, and said it was really good. I took his word for it...he knew better than to offer me a piece of beef!
The rest of the restaurant was filled mostly with far-from-sober parade patrons, rather than the usual office lunch crowd. It definitely made for an entertaining dining experience. Groups decked out in green gear spontaneously burst out into song and danced around the bar. We had a hard time motivating to go back to work when we we could have easily sat there and watch the shamrocks and leprechauns all afternoon. So, if you're looking for a lively, authentic atmosphere, with great food in the Times Square area, definitely check out O'Lunney's. Cheers!
O'Lunney's
145 West 45th Street
b/t 6th Avenue & Broadway
website
Menu Pages listing
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